Don Erwin

Don Erwin is former economic development manager for Alabama Power Company and vice president of corporate development for Barber Companies.

Erwin earned his bachelor of science in economics at the University of Alabama in 1978 and also studied business and German at UAB. He began working for Alabama Power as a writer and editor for training manuals while in college and began working in the technical support department in 1980. He was promoted to economic development manager in 1990 and helped expand the utility's first efforts to recruit businesses from Europe, including its coordination with the state in landing Mercedes-Benz US International in 1993.

Erwin's role in securing George Barber's Barber Motorsports Park led to him moving to Barber Companies as a member of the executive board responsible for corporate development and government relations in 2002, after a year with the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. He retired in 2020.

Erwin's first novel, Buffalo Hunting in Alabama, draws from his experiences as a corporate recruiter. The book was self-published in 2020.

References

• Van der Bijl, Hanno (November 6, 2020) "Economic development thriller set in Alabama designed to entertain, educate." Birmingham Business Journal